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发帖数: 61690 | 1 NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The International Monetary Fund issued a report
Thursday on a possible replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve
currency.
The IMF said Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, could help stabilize the
global financial system.
SDRs represent potential claims on the currencies of IMF members. They were
created by the IMF in 1969 and can be converted into whatever currency a
borrower requires at exchange rates based on a weighted basket of
international currencies. The IMF typically lends countries funds
denominated in SDRs
While they are not a tangible currency, some economists argue that SDRs
could be used as a less volatile alternative to the U.S. dollar.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the IMF, acknowledged there are
some "technical hurdles" involved with SDRs, but he believes they could
help correct global imbalances and shore up the global financial system.
"Over time, there may also be a role for the SDR to contribute to a more
stable international monetary system," he said.
The goal is to have a reserve asset for central banks that better reflects
the global economy since the dollar is vulnerable to swings in the domestic
economy and changes in U.S. policy.
In addition to serving as a reserve currency, the IMF also proposed creating
SDR-denominated bonds, which could reduce central banks' dependence on U.S.
Treasuries. The Fund also suggested that certain assets, such as oil and
gold, which are traded in U.S. dollars, could be priced using SDRs.
Oil prices usually go up when the dollar depreciates. Supporters say using
SDRs to price oil on the global market could help prevent spikes in energy
prices that often occur when the dollar weakens significantly.
The dollar alternatives
Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute for International
Economics, said at a conference in Washington that IMF member nations should
agree to create $2 trillion worth of SDRs over the next few years.
SDRs, he said, "will further diversify the system."
Dollar firms after starting 2011 weak
The dollar has been drifting lower so far this year as the global economy
improves and investors regain their appetite for more risky assets such as
stocks and commodities.
After rising above 81 in early January, the dollar index, which measures the
U.S. currency against a basket of other international currencies, eased
below 77 earlier this week.
However, the dollar was higher Thursday against the euro, pound and yen as
disappointing corporate results weighed on stock prices following several
days of gains on Wall Street. The rally in the commodities market also
cooled, with the price of oil and metals backing off recent highs.
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In addition, renewed concerns about the debt problems facing troubled
European economies put pressure on the euro and supported the dollar. The
yield on Portugal's benchmark bond rose to a record high Wednesday, and
borrowing costs for Ireland, Spain and Greece remain elevated.
"The market is shedding risk, with equities and commodities weakening and
the U.S. dollar broadly stronger" said Camilla Sutton, currency strategist
at Scotia Capital.
Traders were also digesting comments from Federal Reserve chairman Ben
Bernanke, who told Congress Wednesday that despite a strengthening economic
recovery, the unemployment rate remains high while inflation is "still quite
low."
Those remarks reaffirmed the view that "the Fed would be very slow to
tighten policy given its dual mandate of price stability and employment,"
analysts at Sucden Financial wrote in a research report.
Bernanke also urged lawmakers to come up with a "credible plan" to bring
down "unsustainable" federal budget deficits.
"We expect that the outlook for the U.S. fiscal position will weigh heavily
on the U.S. dollar in the quarters ahead," said Sutton. In the near-term,
however, she said "a strengthening growth profile" could help provide "a
temporary period of dollar strength." To top of page |
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